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A Powerful Teaching Technique
Questions If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.—Matthew 22:45,46 Todd Alexander Jesus’ question was so powerful and pointed that at least these Pharisees stopped asking him any more questions. They failed to gain the respect that they so desperately desired in the eyes of those who were watching. The audience that heard this question consisted of five groups: 1) the Pharisees and Sadducees, whose hearts were full of rage at the wisdom of God’s son; 2) the disciples, whose hungry hearts strained to hear every word; 3) the public, who were simply passing by; 4) his unseen enemies including Satan and the fallen angels who were surely interested in this most powerful manifestation of the power of God; and 5) us, Jesus’ future disciples. Jesus knew the influence of his ministry would touch hearts all down through the Gospel age (see John 17:20). Jesus wanted all these groups to struggle with the truth, so he asked this simple question. A question triggers something in the mind that we cannot just ignore. Jesus was looking to see if any door of honesty would open to him. Jesus, more than anyone, knew the hearts of these people. What were they thinking in their hearts? What were their hopes and their dreams? Jesus wanted a clean slate, a heart converted from the rebellion of a willful human spirit. And he set this agenda in motion in all five groups by asking the Pharisees the right question. Jesus knew that all actions are created twice: 1) mentally with the planting of a thought, and 2) physically by acting on it (James 1:14,15). With this question, Jesus gave each group the power to mentally follow a seed he planted in the mind, and then take action by faith. A simple question from Jesus brought to life the human will and aspirations. Jesus’ followers had profound challenges in their lives. They had doubts and fears, they had unmet dreams and real life failures. But by his questions Jesus settled their doubts and fears and renewed their faith in their own natural abilities to effectively serve God. There was a certain strategy of genius evident in Jesus’ questions. Jesus asked a great many questions recorded in the four gospels and the Book of Acts. But Jesus never asked a question in the book of Revelation nor did he ask a question of Satan or the fallen angels. A question from Jesus was a tool that unlocked the powerful human will to either reform or continue in sin. The questions Jesus asked helped his disciples feel the possibilities of his power to transform their lives. His questions touched people and led them to richer life experiences by engaging their minds. Jesus has several questions for us! In our studies we often emphasize Jesus’ statements and ignore his questions, yet we typically remember a statement only a short time. But a relevant question can be easily recalled for much longer, even a lifetime. Think back to the most defining times of your Christian life. How many of those moments were defined by a great question at just the right time? In the life of the disciples, Jesus’ questions sparked their hearts and their imagination. The Pharisees, as a group, did not have good and honest hearts. Their public lives were not aligned with either their personal lives or their secret lives. As fallen human beings, we lead a secret life (known only to us and to God), a personal life (known to our family), and a public life (known by the world around us). The Pharisees lived public lives of piety but were corrupt in their secret lives, which were full of greed and avarice (see Matthew 23:27). Because of this hypocrisy, they were vulnerable to Jesus’ questions as prophesied by Simeon to Mary: “The thoughts of many hearts will be revealed” (Luke 2:35, NIV). The Pharisees tried to conform to the law without first repenting in their hearts. This was not what they should have done: “Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19, ASV). The Pharisees could not be converted unless they first repented; neither can we. The Walk to Emmaus “He said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people” (Luke 24:19). This two-word question from Jesus began a memorable conversation. The death of Jesus seemed to be an indecipherable detour in the lives of these two disciples. Their vision of salvation had collapsed; now they would have to confront the reality of life under Roman rule. But Jesus knew this as he walked with them; he could read their hearts. He knew what they were thinking, and he knows what we are thinking. Jesus was patient with them, and drew them out. Through this experience we see a cure for disappointment in our own lives. Jesus wanted to hear their doubts, their fears, and their shattered dreams. Then he revealed the true purpose of his sacrificial life and opened up the prophecies as an anchor for their faith. He led them as a shepherd leads his flock to green pastures and still waters. By reviving their spirits, he showed them how to put Psalm 23 into action. This is a template for how Jesus deals with us. Jesus wants to hear our doubts, our fears, and our shattered dreams. He engages us through our difficult life experiences to show us where to walk. Jesus knows that through this deep personal struggle, he can give us true peace and lasting strength for the journey. He is truly a sympathetic high priest who is touched with a feeling of our difficulties. He loves us so much that he asks us questions even though he already knows the answers. He asks us the questions so we would learn the answers and then be guided by them through the rest of the experiences of our life. In some of our experiences, we may never get resolution in this lifetime. But a lack of resolution in our affairs is his way of keeping us alert and developing in us the fruits of a meek and generous spirit. It is also an effective way to witness to others who are watching. Every person has a wide circle of influence. Our effectiveness in the way we live our lives, and especially our example during our failures, radiates wider than we may realize. Surely all the disciples were disappointed that Jesus could not convince the Pharisees of the truth. But little did they realize that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimatheae were so sympathetic to Jesus. Through his questions, Jesus triggered personal introspection that led the disciples to victories of growth and understanding. The arguments that were generated by the questions of Jesus forced the disciples to discover the truth in a self-searching way. This is the effect Jesus has on honest hearts. So let us not be like the Pharisees. Their hearts were hard and they would not let the Master soften their hearts by receiving his questions honestly. Jesus knocked at their heart’s door and no one answered. He was looking for good ground where the seeds of his kingdom could grow and develop spiritual fruit. Jesus is now speaking to our hearts. He feeds us with personal and individual care, he applies nourishment, and pulls out the weeds. The Rich Young Man “Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God” (Mark 10:18). Perhaps the young man wanted to think of himself and Jesus as good rather than acknowledge the goodness of God. By addressing Jesus as “good master,” perhaps he sought to develop a rapport by mentioning something he felt they had in common. This problem has plagued the church throughout this age and we are not immune! One of the problems we have within our families and our congregations is that sometimes we expect others to follow our rules. When we do that, we are not giving them the liberty to struggle with the truth to make it their own. This struggle is the only way for a strong faith to take root. Why must we force our system of belief on others? Probably because we want satisfying answers, as did the rich young man. We like to see ourselves as good rather than focus on the goodness of God and his power to work in the hearts of others. We must allow everyone within our sphere of influence to struggle with the truth. We must not interfere with the power of Jesus to help others arrive at their own best conclusions. A Frequent Question “What will ye that I shall do unto you?” (Matthew 20:32) is one of Jesus’ more frequent questions. He asked it of a blind beggar, and also of James and John. The blind beggar had the proper heart attitude. He came to Jesus in his brokenness, blindness, poverty, and helplessness. He called out to Jesus to have pity on him and thereby renounced his pride. On the other hand, James and John came to Jesus as opportunists, and in their youthful ignorance selfishly asked to be on his left and right in the kingdom. They were comfortable in their faith and wanted more of what their faith had to offer. So how do we answer this question from Jesus, and how does our life demonstrate our answer? As creation’s master builder, Jesus knows about our powerful capacity to recover from sin or to descend deeper into hypocrisy. Jesus knows that this power can only be harnessed through self-determination, by putting our lives under scrutiny and applying the cleansing blood of Jesus. A sincere repentance from sin can only occur by harnessing the great truths that he wrote on the human heart: godliness, meekness, honesty, and a thirst for righteousness (Genesis 1:26). How did the Pharisees answer this question? Jesus knew that the politically motivated perform for their constituencies. Nicodemus approached Jesus at night because he wanted more information from Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea showed concern over the body of Jesus after he died. Up until that time neither was ready to fight the prevailing religious sentiment within their religious group. The ruler of the synagogue similarly came to Jesus only when his daughter was sick. By asking what he can do for us, Jesus gives us the power to engage him in a purposeful plan of personal growth and renewal. When we answer this question from Jesus, let us think about what we truly want from him in all humility and thankful expectation. Let us be strong in our faith, not ignorant or selfish. A Question to Peter “Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me more than these?” (John 21:15). After the crucifixion, Peter was discouraged and depressed. He was dealing with his shattered dreams as well as regret over his denial of the Lord in a moment of weakness. He gave up on himself and went back to the fishing business. But Jesus didn’t give up on Peter. He reversed Peter’s downward path by asking this simple question. He met Peter where he was. Similarly, Jesus meets us where we are and gently reminds us of his loving care. Jesus loved Peter, he inspired Peter, and lifted his earthborn cloud of discouragement with a simple question. Jesus’ three follow-up admonitions to feed his sheep showed Peter how to demonstrate his love. Peter had to change his tactics. Peter now had the opportunity to become the fisher of men Jesus called him to be (Matthew 4:19). In thoughtful reflection, the words of Jesus were more important to Peter later in life than the miracles he witnessed. Likewise we too can answer the call of Jesus to feed his sheep. Jesus asked Peter a question that was deeply personal: Do you love me? The question had nothing to do with Peter’s physical world but everything to do with his inspiration to act, and his emotional engagement with the risen Jesus. Jesus read Peter’s heart and saw great potential. By asking this question three times in slightly different forms, perhaps Jesus allowed Peter to come to grips with his earlier denial with a small act of personal achievement. Peter now felt the touch of the Master’s hand more powerfully than ever. He was once again drinking from that deep pool of refreshing water, which provided the inspiration he once knew and loved so much. The question came at the perfect time in Peter’s life. It was a relevant interruption that provided the spark for a powerful ministry. What question is Jesus asking us that might spark a powerful ministry? Jesus used his questions to conduct both private and public judgments. We should take each question to heart and consider each carefully and personally. We should study the questions of Jesus and allow the holy spirit to reveal the thoughts and intents of our heart. A question from Jesus can help us conquer our flesh. If we let it, a question from Jesus will change us forever. Our answers to his questions will be as dramatic as passing through a door from one stage in our life to the next. Jesus wants us to see the world differently, to look into our heart and see the world from beyond our own self-interest. Jesus comes to us every day in our struggles and conflicts to ask us these questions. The internal human processes that we put in play by receiving Jesus’ questions into a good and honest heart have a force of power as significant as the questions themselves. We get our power from the work of the holy spirit in our secret lives, from our self-awareness and our conscientious stand for the truth in the development of our characters. Our personal lives give each of us the opportunity to fine-tune the characters we are creating. Our public lives allow each of us to put that character in play in the public arena. God gave us this opportunity to develop and test our integrity and this is how we become a spectacle to men and angels (1 Corinthians 4:9). Let Us Ask Questions Too
We should use questions as a teaching tool in our
service to the truth. Jesus showed us how to do that. By his example Jesus
taught that the most effective way to change others is to ask a relevant
question that momentarily stops them and causes them to reflect. When we ask
relevant questions, we show others we have the confidence in them to come to the
right conclusion. This rule is equally effective with our children, brethren,
spouse, co-workers, and even our enemies. So let us concentrate on two things: answering Jesus’ questions with a certain honesty of heart in our secret lives, and let us ask the right questions to help others in their walk. Let us feed his sheep. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20). Are you opening the door to your heart to Jesus? |